Friendship Despite Hatred
by Laitie
Summary: A Gryffindor and a Slytherin? Friends? No way! Watch as these two friends overcome ridicule, hatred, and one of the greatest evils on Earth.
1. Chapter 1

"Ana!" Ana bolted awake at the shout of her name. She had to glance around at first to figure out where she was. Oh, yeah. School. And there was Sister Eunice tapping the ruler against the palm of her hand.  
"Yes, Sister?" Ana asked meekly.  
"Up a little late last night?" Sister Eunice asked, her voice void of any sympathy.  
"Studying my times tables," Ana said honestly.  
"Mhmm," Sister Eunice said, unbelieving. "C'mon, you know what to do."  
Ana frowned but stood up, making her way over to the front of the classroom. She ignored the stares that followed her every step. Paid no attention to the whispers swirling around her.  
The girl turned to face the class and held out her hands, palms up. Sister Eunice came over and stood in front of her, slamming the flat of the ruler down on Ana's palms, hard. Ana winced, but didn't move her hands. Sister Eunice repeated the action until Ana's palms were red.  
"All right," the Sister finally said. "Back to your desk." Ana dropping her throbbing hands and obeyed,l trying to to run back to it. She kept her head down the rest of class, avoiding the looks.  
Ana Sofia Gomez was an average, 11-year-old Catholic School student in Mexico City, Mexico. The Assumption of Our Lady was a small school in which English was the only language allowed to be spoken. The nuns that ran the school were of the no-nonsense type. And Ana hated them.  
Ana was always ecstatic to go home after afternoon prayer. School was a place of rulers and snickers. She had no friends there outside her family. But at home, everyone was close.  
"Mis hijos!" Señora Gomez announced as her children walked in after school. "Están casor!" The children walked in as they always did, eldest to youngest. Eduardo, 17; Josefina, 15; Pedro, 14; Tatiana, 13; Juan, 12; Ana, 11; Paolo, 9; and Sofia, 7. Señora Gomez kissed each and every one in turn. "I missed you children. How was school? Juan, how was your test? Fina, did you finish that project?" She rambled on in Spanish to the children as they put their school things away and pulled out their homework.  
"It was fine, Mamá," Juan said.  
"Yes, Mamá, I did," Josefina replied.  
"Mamá, I passed my math test!" Paolo said excitedly.  
"Oh, mijo, qué bueno!" Señora Gomez cheered, hugging the boy. "Now, everyone, to your tarjeta." The children obeyed, taking their places at the kitchen table and beginning their homework.  
The children muttered through their homework, speaking a sort of Spanglish to each other as the older ones helped the younger ones. Señora Gomez grinned at her babbling children as she went to work on dinner.  
Ana was almost done with her math homework when she heard the front door open. "Papí!" she announced, dropping her pencil to run to the door. The rest of the children cheered and followed her, but Ana was determined to be the first to hug her father. And so she was. She jumped into his open arms.  
"Mijos!," Señor Gomez laughed, trying to keep his balance as child after child jumped on to him. He tried to walk as Juan, Ana, Paolo, and Sofia clung to each of his limbs. But he failed and they all fell to the group in a heap of giggles.  
"Now, now, enough of that," Señora Gomez announced with a laugh. "Dinner's ready!"  
The children and husband obeyed, struggling up and clearing off the table. Señor Gomez kissed his wife as the children set the table. Dinner was loud and long, with everyone catching up with everyone else. Together, the family shared a lovely evening of food and laughter. Ana went to bed feeling happy and satisfied, despite what had happened at school. She loved her family. In her prayers that night, she informed God that she couldn't ask for anything more.


	2. Chapter 2

Lynn grinned to herself as she read the acceptance letter. Of course, she knew she would get into Hogwarts, but it still felt good to have the letter in her hands. "Mum!" she called, running up the stairs, almost tripping over the orange mass of Pasty, the cat. "Mum, mum! I got my letter!"  
"Wonderful!" Mrs. White said, coming out of the bedroom. "Let me see!" She took the letter from Lynn's grasp and grinned wide. "My daughter!" she crowed. She hugged the girl to herself. "Congratulations."  
"Ta, Mum," Lynn said, hugging her mother back. Pasty made her way up to stairs to see what all the commotion was. Lynn grinned and took the cat in her arms, hugging her close.  
"Your father will be so proud when he comes home."  
"Did he work all night?"  
"Yes, dear."  
"How come?"  
"You know as well as I he can't tell us. Now come, it's time for breakfast."  
Lynn and her mother made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen where the family House Elf, Etsy, was preparing their breakfast. The two ate in silence, taking turns reading the letter. There was nothing more to talk about. Lynn already knew they were going to Diagon Alley to gather her materials and robes. And she knew her mother wouldn't be interested in the musings she has always been thinking of. The two finished their meal and went to the fireplace, taking the floo powder in turn and heading to Diagon Alley.  
It didn't take Mr. White long to figure out where his family had gone. He met them at Diagon Alley where Lynn was trying on her robes.  
"You look perfect in that," Mr. White complimented her with a grin. Lynn grinned back.  
"Now just imagine the Slytherin emblem on it," Mrs. White mused excitedly. Lynn grinned even wider. Following in her parents' footsteps was all she wanted. She wanted to have her parents' school experience. Minus the Voldemort mess, of course. She still wasn't sure if she would have become a Death Eater or not, but that wasn't important, so she didn't think about it often.  
"I'm so excited!" she said. Her parents beamed.  
"Are you bringing Pasty?" Mr. White asked. Lynn nodded.  
"Of course!" she said. "Can you imagine school without her?" Mr. and Mrs. White chuckled.  
"C'mon, now," Mrs. White said. "It's time to get your wand."  
The little family paid for the robes and made their way out of the robe shop. The headed towards the south end of Diagon Alley, finding Ollivander's shop in no time. Lynn hopped into the shop, giggling and excited. "Hi, Mr. Ollivander!" she said excitedly. "I'm getting my wand!"  
"Is that why you're here?" Mr. Ollivander teased her. "I thought you were just browsing."  
Lynn giggled at him as her parents hid their grins. It wouldn't do to laugh with someone like Ollivander. Mr. Ollivander was young and cheerful, but fiercely loyal to his grandfather, now passed, who had helped Harry Potter in the war against Voldemort. Although not really given to the resistance, the Whites still didn't want to show loyalty to the Potter side.  
"I know just the right wand for you, Lynn White," Mr. Ollivander said.  
"You do?" Lynn asked gaily. "What is it?"  
"Ten inches, Ebony, Unicorn hair," he said, pulling out the box the wand was placed in and setting it down on the counter. He carefully lifted the top and pulled out the want, holding it out to her with both hands.  
Lynn grinned and gently took hold of the wand. She immediately felt a warmth from it. "This is it!" she announced. "This is my wand!"  
"Unicorn hair?" Mr. White asked. "Are you certain, Mr. Ollivander?"  
"Very," Mr. Ollivander said. "It's perfect."  
"If you say so..." Mrs. White said. "Well, have a nice day, Mr. Ollivander." She handed him the money and the family made their way home. Lynn spent the rest of the day looking through her books and trying out her wand with the few little spells she knew.  
It was later that night when things went South.  
Lynn had fallen asleep with Pasty above her head on the pillow, as always. But she awoke in the middle of the night to a low rumbling sound. She sat up and searched the darkness until she spotted the orange fur at the end of her bed. What was Pasty growling at? Then she saw it; the dark shadows at the foot of her bed. Of course it would show up on the happiest day of her life.  
"Pasty," Lynn whimpered. She patted the blankets beside her. "Pasty, come sit by me." But the cat wouldn't listen. She remained inches from the shadows, growling at the figure as its glowing red eyes bore into Lynn. They stared at each other for what felt like forever until Lynn finally covered her head with her sheets and laid back down.  
She woke up the next morning with Pasty right on top of her head, fast asleep.


End file.
